The number of Americans affected by Alzheimer’s disease (AD) continues to rise according to a new report.1 Researchers found that approximately 6.08 million Americans had Alzheimer’s or mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to the disease in 2017. Additionally, the report found that 15 million people will be living with Alzheimer’s by 2060.

The report found that potential new treatments could have a profound impact. For example, a medicine that could prevent the risk of mild cognitive impairment by 50 percent would reduce the number of people with AD or MCI by 6 million people in 2060.

Another focus of the report was the large population of people with “preclinical” or asymptomatic Alzheimer’s disease. 46.7 million Americans currently have preclinical Alzheimer’s disease although many will not progress to clinical disease. This is a group that may benefit from treatments before the onset of brain damage.

With the number of Americans living with preclinical and clinical Alzheimer’s disease on the rise, biopharmaceutical research for treatments is critical. The task is daunting and setbacks have far outnumbered the successes: since 1998, 123 medicines in development for AD have not made it through clinical trials, while only 4 have been approved.

Andrew Powaleny Andrew Powaleny is Director of Public Affairs at PhRMA. Before joining PhRMA in 2015, he worked at the House Energy and Commerce Committee and later as a communications consultant. Andrew came to Washington, D.C. via Connecticut and proudly sings with the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, runs with the DC Front Runners and serves on the Alumni Council for The Fund for American Studies. He is also a member of the National Lesbian Gay Journalists Association.